Bendable Ears

Writers' Wednesday!!!

There comes a time in every writer's life when his/her family and friends don't really want to hear anymore about the story.  That being understood, make the most of what time you have until that happens.

Writers need sounding boards.  Vocalizing is an important tool for organizing plot points, describing concepts, and testing where the readers/audience will want more information (and especially where they won't).

In order for these chats to be as effective as possible, listen.  Listen to yourself tell the story.  Listen to your family members and friends.  Not just for what they say, but also for the subtext behind what they say.

The first big alarm that should go off in your head occurs when you hear yourself actually get into story-telling mode after knocking around with backstory.  Don't write the backstory!  Start with where you started story telling and keep the backstory in mind, revealing the important bits as they become relevant.  (Had Tolkien done this, he could have spared us decades of waiting in the Shire, which Jackson astutely truncated.)

The first big alarm you get, whilst listening to aforementioned sounding board, happens when they switch from interjecting their oohs and aahs with casual references to your genius, and get involved with the world you're creating.  They will ask for more detail, speak of your characters as real people, and put pieces together before your very eyes.

Should your trusted listener begin offering suggestions on how to change your story, or slip into a writer mode all their own, that's a big (and valuable) hint that your story just isn't doing enough for them.  You've lost them and, if it keeps happening, spend more time developing your story.  The exception to this usually involves at least one person we all know who compulsively fixes things that aren't broken until they are.

This technique is especially helpful for people who say they have a hard time explaining their story.  That just means you need more practice.  The better you get at it, the more it will improve your writing style.

New Year, And An Attitude To Match

Writer's Wednesday!!!

Here I am posting from my phone's app, again. I figure I can only get better at it by doing it.

Which brings me to my point and this year's first writing tip!

Try new and unfamiliar aspects of writing.

You may be anxious about tweeting, blogging, or other social medias and I can almost guarantee you that anxiety stems from inexperience. Get to know it and your confidence will elevate.

Perhaps you scorn specific genres of writing because you can't fathom how they could be written with any discernible degree of talent or interest. Read some of them. You may be surprised.

Then again, you might just justify your belief that such things are not for you. Even if you find you're into anti-social media and can only stomach historical fiction, there will be valuable take-aways that improve your writing style and identity.